Edoardo Amaldi (1908-1989)

Director-General (May 1952 - October 1954)

Eduardo Amaldi, a doctor of Physics at the University of Rome, played a guiding role in the development of Italian nuclear physics and European collaboration.

He was one of the pioneers of CERN, holding the post of Secretary-General in the interim period of the organization (1952-54) before Felix Bloch succeeded him as CERN's first permanent Director-General in October 1954.

Edoardo Amaldi did not sever links with CERN on his return to Rome in 1954. From 1957-75 he was a member of the Scientific Policy Committee at CERN (chairman from 1958-60). He was a member of the CERN council from 1960-73 (vice-president from 1960-62 and president from 1970-71).

He also played a leading role in the study and preparation of the Intersecting Storage Rings and the 300 GeV Super Proton Synchrotron. He was chairman of the 300 GeV Steering Group from 1968-69.

He was a member of the CERN History Advisory Committee from 1980 until his death in 1989.